Russia-Ukraine War: The Spanish MIM-23 HAWK surface-to-air missile systems will be transported to Ukraine on Sunday. The system is currently in Poland. This announcement follows Spain’s earlier confirmation of its readiness to supply the systems, making it the first country to provide MIM-23 HAWK missiles to Ukraine in 2022, during the conflict’s initial year.
The Spanish MIM-23 HAWK surface-to-air missile systems is one of the highly effective systems. The upgrades were carried out during the 1990s. According to the reports, Ukraine is operating enhanced HAWK Phase III air defense systems. The Ukrainian Air Force has showcased the HAWK’s ability to intercept a variety of airborne threats, including Shahed drones and Kh-59 cruise missiles.
Oleksandr, a Ukrainian operator, described how the HAWK system was utilized to intercept Russian cruise missiles and Shahed drones. He emphasized the system’s effectiveness against these threats, sharing his experience with its successful use.
Taras Chmut, a Ukrainian military expert, also praised the HAWK’s performance: “HAWK works excellently for intercepting cruise missiles. Despite its age, both the HAWK and the S-125M continue to deliver great results,” he commented on X
The MIM-23 HAWK has been widely deployed across the globe, with countries including the United States, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, and Turkey among its users.
Here are some of the key features:
- The MIM-23 HAWK is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system
- It is designed to protect vital installations and military forces from aerial threats, including aircraft, cruise missiles, and drones.
- The MIM-23 HAWK is developed by Raytheon in the late 1950s
- The HAWK became one of the key systems in the U.S. and allied nations’ arsenals during the Cold War and continues to serve today.
- The HAWK employs radar systems to detect and track targets, providing multi-layered coverage across various altitudes and ranges
- It is typically used alongside more expensive and long-range air defense systems, such as the S-300 or Patriot
- The HAWK is also capable of autonomous operations. Its radar system detects, tracks, and neutralizes targets with missiles.
- The system includes several components: a radar, launcher units, and the missiles themselves.
- The radar has a range of approximately 120 kilometers
- Various versions of the HAWK feature upgraded radar and control stations, with newer digital systems improving tracking efficiency.
- The radar offers coverage up to 18 kilometers in altitude, capable of detecting and tracking high-speed objects like fighter jets and missiles.
- The missiles typically measure around 5 meters in length and 0.35 meters in diameter.
The HAWK missiles typically fly at speeds of around 2.5 Mach and have operational ranges of 35 to 50 kilometers. Modernized versions of the system, particularly those with Phase III upgrades, use digital components for fire control, significantly enhancing precision and system performance.
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